


Have Some Composure

by Paraprosdokia (ChangeableConsistency)



Series: Unconnected Phil Coulson Fics [8]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Gen, The best knife is a twisted knife, feeeeeeeeels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:13:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22996747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChangeableConsistency/pseuds/Paraprosdokia
Summary: He knows Barton knows how important this is, knows that hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of lives are at stake. Every single SHIELD agent at their level has to be prepared to do what’s necessary.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Series: Unconnected Phil Coulson Fics [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1709944
Comments: 11
Kudos: 57





	Have Some Composure

**Author's Note:**

> Have some composure  
> And where is your posture?  
> Oh, no, no  
> You're pulling the trigger  
> Pulling the trigger  
> All wrong
> 
> — Panic! At The Disco, Time to Dance
> 
> A billion million thanks to my beta.

Phil slurs through the truth serum making his words all bendy, “I’m not as young as I used to be. Not sure how much more my heart can take. If I die, you get nothing.” 

The torturer, excuse him, _interrogator_ , (Phil hasn’t even bothered to learn his name— if he’s being honest, which he has to be, Phil would only give him maybe a 4 out of 10, and most of that comes from having been smart enough to not respond to Phil’s taunts trying to get him to step out of the control room, laughs, “Oh, I am sure I can keep you alive for a very long time, Agent Coulson. And between the electricity and the XG83 in your system it won’t be long before you tell me everything I want to know.”

“Yep. I suppose the best I can hope for is a bullet to the brain.”

“I could be persuaded. If you stop wasting my time.”

“Fuck you, sir. Not happening.”

Barton's on the rooftop across the street from the— Phil wants to say abandoned doll factory; there’s nothing to actually denote it as such, but it’s got that creep factor, and besides, dying in an abandoned doll factory just seems like par for the course. The way Phil’s wired up, there’s no way for Barton, much less B team, to get to him before Mr. 4/10 flips the switch and runs enough electricity through Phil to light up Times Square— which means Phil’s dead no matter which way you look at it and a bullet is infinitely more merciful.

“Sooner rather than later.”

“Please, Coulson. Don’t make me do this.”

“Enough stalling.”

Phil screams. He can’t not, he’s never felt pain like this before. 

“Did you like that? I’ve turned it up to three; I'd hate for you to get bored. Now, give me the encryption key and I promise to make it quick.”

“Please,” Phil pants.

“I can’t.”

He screams again, oh God, how could it be worse? It shouldn’t be possible for it to be worse.

"Give me the key."

Phil can’t stop himself, “Kilo Seven Bravo— Fuck! No!”

He’s never actually prayed for death before.

He does now.

When he’s done convulsing, he begs, for what he knows is the last time, his head lolling against his chest as the encryption key tries to push its way out of his throat, “I'm sorry.”

“You will be if you don’t give me the key.”

Phil looks out the window in Barton’s direction, “I wasn’t talking to you.”

He knows Barton knows how important this is, knows that hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of lives are at stake. Every single SHIELD agent at their level has to be prepared to do what’s necessary.

“Phil,” Phil can hear it in Barton's voice, it’s despair, and rage, and, something new, something he’s never heard from his specialist.

There’s a _thft_ as the bullet breaks the glass of the window.

Love. 

It was love.

**Author's Note:**

> You know what? I’m sure that Clint found like, a control box to shoot, or maybe he got a bead on the interrogator? 
> 
> Yeah. Yeah I’m sure that’s what happened. 
> 
> Pay no attention to Clint sobbing over a gravestone. That’s um… For a completely different fic?


End file.
